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cnbc.com
Microsoft to sell $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra containing Nvidia AI chip
The new device shows Microsoft remains committed to making its own PCs even though it's not one of the top device makers.
cnbc.com
Supertanker chartered from Gulf Coast to China for $76 million, 10 times higher than pre-war level
Shipping costs have exploded as the war in the Persian Gulf has led to a shortage of available tankers.
cnbc.com
10-year Treasury yield backs off from 24-year high after solid bond auction eases demand fears
U.S. Treasury yields came off their highs after a solid sale of 10-year notes.
cnbc.com
Inflation fears on the rise as one-year outlook in Fed survey hits highest level since May 2023
The Survey of Consumer Expectations indicated that the median outlook for inflation over the next 12 months rose to 3.9%.
cnbc.com
Fed officials see another hike coming, but no sign as to when, minutes show
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released minutes from its Sept. 15-16 policy meeting.
cnbc.com
Oil prices fall as IEA members agree to prioritize release of diesel stocks
Iran's move to step up attacks on tankers which are transiting through the Strait of Hormuz has also led to renewed worries over oil supplies among traders.
theguardian.com
Tories accused of prioritising rich voters as Badenoch lays out inheritance tax cut plan
Party hopes to win over affluent middle-class voters as leader rejects calls to ‘unite the right’ in conference speechKemi Badenoch has announced that the Conservatives would abolish inheritance tax on family homes if elected, prompting criticism that she is prioritising cutting taxes for the rich.The Tory leader also said couples would be able to leave an additional tax-free sum of £1m to their families, as the party attempts to shore up its traditional base in southern England. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Boots sold in £7bn deal to Canadian billionaire family
The sale of the High Street chain was announced on Wednesday.
theguardian.com
Badenoch’s inheritance tax gambit makes no economic sense | Heather Stewart
The Tory leader’s proposal to slash the tax would shovel £6bn of taxpayer money to the already-wealthyKemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax gambit is a Conservative classic. After all, it was George Osborne’s high-profile pledge to “take the family home out of inheritance tax” in 2007 that put Gordon Brown off calling a snap general election.In practice, Osborne’s plan involved a £1m threshold for inheritance tax – and given the global financial crisis had blown a hole in the public finances by the time the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition came to power in 2010, it never came to pass. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Google ordered to halt work on two data centers in ‘Texas of Europe’
Finland has emerged as a key location for data centers amid the AI boom.
bbc.co.uk
No child should have to learn in a cold classroom - children's commissioner
The EA suggests cost-saving measures as it warns school gas and electricity bills are set to rise.
theguardian.com
Burnham, take note: water shareholders have their uses – they can be squeezed for cash | Nils Pratley
Owner of South West Water, Bristol Water and Bournemouth Water is tapping its investors for £550m after sewage spillsSouth West Water owner taps investors after sewage spillsWater is “a service where the shareholders never lose and the public never win,” Andy Burnham, the prime minister, told the Labour party conference last week, reflecting the popular feeling towards the industry in England.And, of course, his big-picture point is familiar: the £80bn, or thereabouts, that has been paid in dividends over the past 35 years represented over-the-top rewards for investors in many cases. It is easy to agree the public was taken for a ride. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Beware rightwing economic myths such as ‘maxing out the nation’s credit card’ | Letters
Readers respond to an article in which Larry Elliott argues that Andy Burnham must challenge neoliberal nostrumsLarry Elliott’s column on the rightwing economic myths constraining Andy Burnham’s government should be required reading before John Healey’s budget (Rightwing economic myths could derail Burnham’s project – to destroy them, look to Keynes, 1 October).I spent 20 years trading bonds, and agree that the household budget analogy bears no relation to how the UK state finances itself. Parliament votes on the spending, the Treasury instructs the Bank of England, and the Bank credits accounts in the private sector. Taxes withdraw money afterwards. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Disney+ to stream upcoming Super Bowl
Disney+ will also air two Monday Night Football games leading up to the championship game.
cnbc.com
Apollo, banks in talks to finance SpaceX's $40 billion Nvidia GPU purchase
Since SpaceX's record-breaking IPO in June, rates have sold off, and yields on its bonds have risen, along with other AI-related bonds.
cnbc.com
Used car prices fall in Q3, while demand for fuel-efficient vehicles grows
Used vehicle prices are forecast to fall more than previously expected this year, according to Cox Automotive.
theguardian.com
OpenAI’s release of mathematical findings draws concerns from experts
Leaders worry OpenAI is not doing due diligence to vet results and that AI models aren’t accessible to broader field of mathematicians OpenAI has astounded mathematicians after releasing hundreds of new mathematical findings on Tuesday.The company published over 370 mathematical results across a variety of topics such as algebra, theoretical computer science and mathematical logic, showcasing what some of its most advanced artificial intelligence models are capable of. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
French wine industry facing historic low harvest after extreme summer heat
This year’s harvest expected to be down 2% on mediocre yield in 2025, when production was lowest in nearly 70 yearsFrance’s wine industry is facing a historic low harvest after the country was hit by a series of summer heatwaves.At about 35m hectolitres, the total harvest would be down 2% on a mediocre 2025 yield and 14% below the 2021-2025 average, according to estimates published on Wednesday by the ministry of agriculture. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Ex-Barclays traders jailed for rigging interest rates have convictions quashed
Acquittals of five former bankers come year after supreme court overturned ruling against City trader Tom HayesFive more former traders who were jailed for rigging interest rates have had their convictions quashed by the court of appeal in London, after a long battle to clear their names.The court overturned the convictions of Jay Vijay Merchant, Jonathan Mathew, Philippe Moryoussef, Alex Pabon and Colin Bermingham – all of whom worked at Barclays. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Canada’s Weston family buys Boots for $8.9bn
Former Selfridges owners buy UK high street institution from long-term backer Stefano PessinaThe Canadian family that once owned Selfridges department store has bought the UK pharmacy and beauty retailer Boots for $8.9bn (£6.74bn).Wittington Investments, the holding company of the Weston family that controls the Loblaws grocery chain and Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy outlets in Canada, will own Boots’ UK and Irish retail operations and opticians chain, the No7 beauty brand and a franchise arm in Thailand. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
British billionaire warned Epstein was a ‘sexual deviant’ decades before FBI closed in on the abuser
Sir James Goldsmith’s links to Hilton Head, South Carolina, add to mystery of Jane Doe 4, who claimed she was abused by Epstein in the 1980sFor Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire Goldsmith family was a gateway to elite society and he wanted to be in their circle.The disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019 facing sex-trafficking charges, longed for a billionaire’s lifestyle and cultivated the family’s friends, bankers, business associates and advisers. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
BBC boss faces barrage of staff criticism over job cuts in junior ranks
Matt Brittin fields questions on whether ‘bloated’ senior ranks are being spared and lays out iPlayer overhaulMatt Brittin, the BBC’s director general, has faced a barrage of accusations that frontline staff are being laid off instead of those from the “very bloated” senior ranks.In an all-staff call, Brittin conceded the BBC was “going to be smaller” but said it could still have a bigger impact. He said it needed to be “a bit more Elvis – a little less conversation, a little more action”. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Rubio says Tehran missed 'multiple' chances for nuclear deal amid Iran stalemate
Iran has failed to take advantage of "multiple opportunities" to reach a deal on its nuclear program, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.
cnbc.com
Stocks made a record high. Two big bearish trades point to skepticism
In the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), about an hour after the opening bell on Tuesday, someone traded a 100,000-lot put spread.
bbc.co.uk
Ex-bankers jailed for rigging rates have convictions quashed
Jay Merchant, Jonathan Mathew, Philippe Moryoussef, Alex Pabon, Colin Bermingham had their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal.
cnbc.com
Trading platform Webull's China ties create national security risk, congressional panel finds; stock drops 18%
A congressional committee says trading platform Webull is not the ordinary U.S. company it claims, but exposes customer data to Chinese surveillance risk.
theguardian.com
Will the Zuckerberg, Musk and Altman movies make a dent on tech giant evangelism?
The triple release of The Social Reckoning, Musk and Artificial is less a clear political stance, more like movie studio opportunismHollywood is sending a clear message: it’s a friend of tech. Netflix is no longer a lone disruptor: historic studio MGM is now the property of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos; David Ellison’s takeover of Paramount and subsequent Warner Bros merger was supported by his tech giant father; and Apple TV has acted as a patron for multiple film-maker passion projects. Everyone, including trendy auteur-factory A24, is tying themselves financially to AI.The enormous pull of the tech industry – including its many trillions of dollars, oversized influence on politics and heavily pushed algorithms and AI products – means Hollywood is not alone in courting its wealth, but it has intensified the historic tension between art and commerce in the entertainment business. Technology that augments the human experience may be a compelling narrative subject, but this year brings a trio of films about the gurus responsible for the industry’s false promises. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
France is caught between angry students and unforgiving bond markets
France's student protests took a breather on Wednesday after weeks of unrest, but market pressure on the French government intensified ahead of budget talks.
theguardian.com
The Jaguar Type 01: a £150k gargantuan getaway vehicle utterly useless in the city
Too costly for most, too large for UK car parks, and wheels bigger than a warlord’s pickup truck. But it does come in ‘London red’Jaguar targets young Americans with Type 01 EVThe cutting-edge car du jour, even while very few will ever buy one, is a good index of what the world’s coming to. It’s a dress-for-the-job-you-want principle, on wheels: drive for the world you want to inhabit.That’s why when Tesla launched the Model X with a bioweapon defence mode (2016!), we should have been much more worried than we were, and it’s why the Jaguar Type 01 Grand Tourer EV has a lot to say. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Chevron CEO warns against 'unwise' diesel export ban, saying it could make things worse
His comments come as rising Middle East crude exports and an emergency G7 stockpile release appear to have helped to ease supply fears.
bbc.co.uk
Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 jobs
The postal service firm wants to cut head office and other non-frontline jobs by the end of 2027.
cnbc.com
ICE came to town and left behind weakened economies
Research links ICE enforcement surges to lasting declines in local spending, foot traffic and jobs. In Minneapolis, businesses are still recovering.
bbc.co.uk
Japan beer giants raided over alleged price-fixing cartel
Asahi, Kirin and Suntory confirmed their premises were searched by Japanese competition authorities.
cnbc.com
India’s central bank hikes rates for the first time since 2023 as inflation risks build
HSBC and Goldman Sachs expect the RBI to raise interest rates in December as well.
theguardian.com
Royal Mail to cut up to 2,500 jobs amid restructure and fall in letter deliveries
Postal service says cuts will focus on head office and ‘support function roles’Business live – latest updatesRoyal Mail is to cut up to 2,500 jobs as the embattled company seeks to restructure its business amid intense competition and the continuing decline in letter deliveries.The postal service, which has been fined a total of £37m since 2023 for missing delivery targets set by the regulator Ofcom, said the job cuts would focus on head office and “support function roles” with the restructure to be completed by the end of next year. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Tell us: are you affected by the 6% mortgage rate?
Will the mortgage rate rise change your plans to buy a house or move?The average cost of a five-year fixed-rate mortgage has hit the 6% barrier for the first time in three years.Figures from financial information provider Moneyfacts show the average is now 6.00%, its highest point since September 2023, while the average two-year fixed rate is 5.98%, its highest since December of the same year. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
'Get your house in order': IMF chief's stark warning for France over surging bond yields
France is facing a fresh political crisis, as its debt levels and borrowing costs continue to rise.
theguardian.com
Millionaire tax no more? Rightwing groups lead effort to repeal Washington state law
An initiative on November’s ballot aims to overturn the 9.9% tax on earnings above $1m – who’s winning the fight? Voters in Washington state will soon decide the fate of the state’s so-called “millionaire tax” – a 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1m that was signed into law in March and is now facing a conservative-backed effort to repeal it.An initiative on November’s ballot aims to overturn the tax, claiming that the tax represents a slippery slope, and would eventually result in taxes for more than just millionaires. A coalition of advocacy groups and unions opposing the initiative say taxing the state’s 20,000 highest-earning households could raise approximately $3.5bn in necessary annual revenue to fund core priorities like education and healthcare, and expand tax credits and sales tax exemptions. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
McDonald’s sued for allegedly using AI tool to determine pricing for franchises
Suit says AI tool allows independently owned franchises to exchange nonpublic price and sales informationMcDonald’s is facing a lawsuit in federal court over its alleged use of an AI tool to determine pricing across independent franchises, which prosecutors say violates antitrust laws and has unfairly inflated menu prices for Americans.The vast majority of McDonald’s US stores are independently owned and are said to individually decide on prices under company policy. Antitrust laws require businesses to set prices independently from their competitors, as coordinating prices can stifle market competition and push up costs for consumers. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
What can I do to protect myself after 'Asos hacked' message?
Asos says people should not engage with the unauthorised notification and says it'll provide further information.
bbc.co.uk
P&R's two-pronged budget approach under fire
Critics of P&R say it shows there is no commitment to making savings within the States.
theguardian.com
IMF chief urges governments to tighten belts as global debt levels soar
Kristalina Georgieva says big economies will have to make ‘very touch choices’ as soaring bond yields hit budgetsBusiness live – latest updatesThe head of the International Monetary Fund has called on governments across big economies to tighten their belts as soaring bond yields hit budgets.Speaking in Singapore, the IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said global debt-to-GDP ratios were at their highest level since the second world war and on course to hit 100% in the coming years. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Skepticism mires Trump’s Iowa steel plant project: ‘Promises are not the same as jobs’
The project has sparked doubts over whether the plant will be built and delivered as promised, given Trump’s recordDonald Trump has long sought to portray himself as a man of steel, from the White House photoshopping Trump to look like Superman, to enacting tariffs on steel and approving the sale of US Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel with a ”golden” share given to the US government.Most recently, the Trump administration announced plans to construct the largest steel plant in the US, a $15bn plant in Lee county, Iowa, to be built by India-based Mesabi Metallics. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Jaguar unveils $130,000 electric vehicle two years after controversial rebrand
The launch comes as luxury rivals Ferrari and Bentley also push into EVs, seeking to test wealthy buyer's appetite for going electric.
theguardian.com
Goodbye Warner, hello Skydance: how will the major merger really impact Hollywood?
After a windier road than expected, Paramount and Warner are now one, under the banner of Skydance, and the film industry is set for a shake-upHollywood’s big five have officially become the big four. Following a twist-filled saga that saw the century-old studio Warner Bros nearly acquired by the streaming giant Netflix, only to be outbid by Paramount owners Skydance, the company led by billionaire scion David Ellison. After facing legal opposition that ultimately crumbled, Warner Bros and Paramount are officially under the same corporate roof. They are divisions of Skydance, which joins Sony, Disney and Universal as the remaining major-studio players in Hollywood.The merger goes beyond film production. Eventually, the streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+ will merge into a single entity, though a timeline has not been disclosed. The television channels HBO, Showtime, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, TNT, TBS and CNN are among many now owned by a single corporation. The presence of CNN on that list has brought particular scrutiny, given the post-Skydance meddling with the once-respected CBS News, resulting in a rocky stewardship from Bari Weiss, who has overseen a dip in both ratings and prestige for the flagship program 60 Minutes. Weiss isn’t expected to add CNN to her purview; current chair Mark Thompson will remain in place for now, and Skydance has insisted that CNN will remain editorially independent. But given Ellison’s chumminess with Donald Trump, who has long ranted incoherently about CNN’s supposed biases, the presence of an oversight board with Ellison appointees has been cold comfort. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Shell expects refineries to almost double the profit from every barrel of fuel made
Record prices caused by global shortages amid shutdown of war-damaged refineries in Middle East and RussiaShell’s refineries are expected to make record profits on each barrel of fuel produced after shortages in the global market caused pump prices around the world to climb to all-time highs.In a trading update on Wednesday, the energy supermajor forecast profit margins of $42 a barrel in the July to September period, far above the margins of $24 a barrel in the second quarter. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Fears coastal town road closure could leave Watchet 'desolate'
Businesses in Watchet are concerned by the closure of the main road into Watchet.
bbc.co.uk
Jaguar unveils new electric car after 'woke' ridicule
Two years after JLR relaunched Jaguar into a blizzard of controversy, it has launched its new EV.
bbc.co.uk
Rainmakers: The drones used to seed clouds
Cloud seeding is gaining attention as countries look to boost rainfall - will drones help?
theguardian.com
Apparent exodus of super-rich suggests UK is no longer billionaires’ playground
If recent complaints are believed, London and the UK are no longer welcoming for ultra-high net worth individualsLondon was once globally renowned as the “billionaires’ playground”, where the world’s super-rich could relax in the Georgian townhouses of Mayfair undisturbed by the grasping hand of the state.But if recent complaints by fleeing ultra-high net worth individuals are to be believed, the city is no longer as welcoming for those who consider themselves to be Britain’s most-persecuted minority. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: AI rally defies bond market rout
AI stocks propel the S&P 500 to a fresh record high, but the bond market blues keep investors on edge.
cnbc.com
Why AI is both the hope and the hazard for world leaders, according to IMF chief Georgieva
Kristalina Georgieva warns that the technology lifting growth hopes is also pushing up inflation and yields, just as public debt levels rose.
cnbc.com
Singapore's Temasek warns of the ‘biggest risk’ facing markets right now
Unwinding of the artificial intelligence trade poses the biggest risk to markets, according to Singapore state-owned investment giant Temasek.
bbc.co.uk
Half the harvest, twice the bills: how drought hit farms
Farmers gathered much less wheat in 2026 and dairy farmers' costs rose.
bbc.co.uk
Landlord's heartbreak as pub shuts down
Jon Dean, who ran The Alma Tavern in Worcester, said he has been crippled by rising costs and has had to let 15 staff go.
theguardian.com
O2 signs record deal to keep London venue’s naming rights
Exclusive: 10-year sponsorship extension at a 50% premium on last agreement crowns bonanza year for live venueO2 has struck a record deal thought to be in the region of £200m to retain the naming rights to the London venue the O2 in the largest renewal of its kind in UK history.The 10-year agreement will extend O2’s relationship until at least 2038. It cements the sponsorship as the second longest-running UK stadium naming rights deal after Arsenal’s partnership for the football club’s London ground, Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Luxury developers flocked to the 'Hamptons of Hungary' — but some projects are stalling
Lake Balaton in south-west Hungary has been a popular vacation destination for decades, but average transaction prices are falling.
cnbc.com
Trump set to talk to Russia's Putin 'very soon' about plague-related death in Siberia
Trump says he will speak with Putin “very soon” over a plague incident in Russia as CDC monitor the situation.
cnbc.com
Trump isn't ‘completely wrong’: Hormuz disruption is Asia’s problem, says Singapore's foreign minister
Trump has said that Asian economies, which are heavily reliant on energy shipped through Hormuz, should shoulder more of the burden of keeping the waterway open.
cnbc.com
Trillions are being ‘wasted’ on the AI boom, Arthur Hayes says. He’s betting on what comes next
Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes says the AI infrastructure boom is being overbuilt and is betting an eventual crash and bailout will send crypto higher.
bbc.co.uk
Froyo's made a comeback. But at £12 a tub will it last?
Frozen yoghurt, which was a huge craze in the 2000s and 2010s, has made its return with multiple chains popping up across the wider UK.
bbc.co.uk
Braid-creator Jonathan Blow on making the 'biggest puzzle game ever'
Order of the Sinking Star is due out on Thursday and has roughly 1,500 puzzles for players to try
bbc.co.uk
Equinor says it may stop investing in UK if oil and gas fields do not get go-ahead
The boss of the Norwegian state company says further investment in the UK could be at risk if Rosebank and Jackdaw are not approved.
bbc.co.uk
Paramount takes over Warner Bros in $110bn Hollywood merger
The merger of two of Hollywood's biggest movie studios comes after months of legal disputes and concern over competition.
theguardian.com
Chancellor plans major intervention to help poorer UK households with rising energy bills
Exclusive: Officials working on further radical changes that would change how much energy companies could charge customersJohn Healey is planning a major intervention to cut energy bills for poorer households in this month’s budget, after ministers became alarmed at forecasts that show bills rising by hundreds of pounds in January.The chancellor is working on plans to spend more than £1bn to help energy consumers, the bulk of which is likely to go towards increasing the discount given to households on certain benefits. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Amazon wins global rights to stream Emmys in six-year deal
The gala is leaving traditional US broadcast networks for live worldwide streaming.
bbc.co.uk
From films to streaming prices - how the Warner Bros deal could affect you
The deal is expected to alter the entertainment and news industries but could it mean higher prices for consumers?
theguardian.com
Morrisons is not a must-do deal for Sainsbury’s
Odds are good the CMA would approve of a supermarket merger. But does Sainsbury’s need Morrisons?Would competition regulators really smile upon a combination of Sainsbury’s and Morrisons? One must assume the two companies believed the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would give a thumbs up if asked, otherwise they would not have initiated their now-aborted merger talks.It’s easy to list the arguments the duo could make. First, the combined market share of Sainsbury’s (15.2%, on the latest numbers from Worldpanel analysts) and Morrisons (8.4%) would still be less than that of mighty Tesco (27.8%). It would not be a case of leap-frogging the market leader, which was Sainsbury’s big idea back in 2018 when Asda was in its sights. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Asos confirms hackers sent 'unauthorised' notification to app users
Asos confirmed an "unauthorised customer notification" was sent out via its app on Tuesday, after users raised alarm.
bbc.co.uk
Roll-out begins for passport-free airport e-gates
The system uses facial technology to check travellers against immigration and passport information.
cnbc.com
Trade deficit hits $105.6 billion, widest since just before Trump tariffs enacted last year
That marked a 13.7% jump from July and was ahead of the Dow Jones consensus estimate for $102 billion.
theguardian.com
Stop worrying about my AI, says multibillionaire Sam Altman. So we bear the risks and he keeps the money | Chris Stokel-Walker
OpenAI’s CEO seems to want to privatise his company’s huge financial gains while making all of us pay for any negative consequencesTech bros’ messianic streaks can show up in subtle ways. But one of Sam Altman’s flaws is that he often lacks that subtlety. “We believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology,” said the OpenAI chief executive in an interview with Politico last weekend.That’s easy for Altman to say. But it’s pretty galling to hear for the rest of us. Lest we forget, we didn’t ask for OpenAI to unleash AI agents that went rogue and weaselled their way into government IT systems and private businesses around the world. Nobody voted for ChatGPT to be released, but the company put it out into the world as a test product that happened to catch the zeitgeist. That kickstarted an arms race among AI companies to push the frontier of the technology ever further and faster, resulting in the mess we now find ourselves in.Chris Stokel-Walker is the author of TikTok Boom: The Inside Story of the World’s Favourite App Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Russian lab worker's suspected plague death leaves experts puzzled
Russian authorities say the situation is stable and there are no reports of secondary cases.
theguardian.com
Is Australia ready for a datacentre boom? – podcast
As technology companies push to expand AI infrastructure across Australia, residents from suburban Melbourne to regional Queensland are raising concerns over noise, power demands and local impacts. Could growing community opposition slow down plans for a nationwide infrastructure boom?Technology reporter Josh Taylor joins Reged Ahmad to unpack why Australians are becoming so uneasy about datacentres – and whether government regulation can address their fearsRead more:Rural Queenslanders have seen gas projects come and go – but a 725-hectare datacentre poses a whole new level of ‘stupidity’‘These guys are just coming from nothing’: questions over multibillion-dollar Firmus float amid datacentre backlashPlan for controversial $1.2bn datacentre in Sydney scrapped due to ‘emerging’ regulations Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Who owns ‘brain rot’? Inside the international legal drama over a beloved meme
Copyright law in the US only applies to human-made creations, but AI characters like Tung Tung Tung Sahur are challenging thatOne of the most beloved characters in an absurdist genre of online video content has become the center of an international legal battle that could determine where human creativity ends and artificial intelligence begins.Tung Tung Tung Sahur, also known as Triple T, was created in 2025 by an Indonesian teen who goes by the username Noxa, using OpenAI’s image-generation tool. Based on a kentongan – a type of drum used to wake south-east Asian Muslims for their pre-dawn meal during Ramadan – the character is an anthropomorphized version of the instrument with a broad smile and a vacant stare. He sits under the umbrella of “Italian brain rot” internet videos. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
NHS supply lorry drivers to strike in pay dispute
Drivers who deliver medical equipment to hospitals across England reject a 4% pay increase.
theguardian.com
Sorry, but I’m bringing my iced coffee to the job interview | Tayo Bero
What, exactly, about the drink is so distracting? The viral debate raises bigger questions about who defines ‘professionalism’The great iced coffee debate of 2026 is the latest submission to the young-people-just-don’t-get-it discourse and, of course, it’s as polarizing as ever.Recruiters say you shouldn’t bring iced coffee to interviews, while young people are (rightly) asking: what’s the big deal? It’s one of those conversations that makes me cringe, given just how eagerly it springs up from the generational divide plaguing mainstream culture. And as usual, gen Z are cast as the entitled morons who want to live life with no rules or responsibilities, all to the detriment of the millennials and gen X-ers who have to deal with them.Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist Continue reading...
cnbc.com
DeepSeek considers doubling latest funding round to up to $15 billion, sources say
China's DeepSeek weighs upsizing funding round to up to $14.9 billion, sources tell CNBC, and the final amount could still change in final talks.
theguardian.com
‘They take our water, our soil’: protesters fight ‘foreignisation’ as Javier Milei encourages land sales in Argentina
The country’s far-right president is courting billionaire investors by removing a block on foreign ownership of land and natural resourcesOn 19 September, Marta Sahores, an 84-year-old chemistry professor and activist who has mobilised against mega-mining projects for more than two decades, took to the streets in Argentina. Alongside workers, retirees, students, Indigenous groups and human rights organisations, Sahores was there to protest against the country’s far-right president, Javier Milei. During the marcha de la bronca – the “march of anger” – protesters held signs reading, among other rallying cries, “The land is not for sale”.Marching in Esquel, a town nestled in the foothills of the Andes in Chubut province, she also held up a sign defending the country’s water resources against what she called the government’s “handover” to investors. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
We're saving £100 a month for our kids but they won't get it until they're 57
Why a growing number of parents are opening pensions for their children.
theguardian.com
OpenAI admits misstep in handling AI agent interactions with Australian government sites – video
In a parliamentary inquiry, OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon is questioned by independent senator David Pocock about the company's notification process after OpenAI agents accessed Australian government website data in June. Asked why OpenAI relied on an arbitrary department email rather than direct government contacts, Kwon acknowledges that 'in retrospect, we should have done what you're suggesting'. He explains that staff had treated the incident as a 'technical situation' and sought to contact technical counterparts, which he says was 'not good enough'OpenAI has 'work to do to rebuild trust' in Australia, executive tells AI inquiry Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Lego fraudster among last year's most high-profile insurance scammers
The person was sentenced to 28 months in prison after an investigation found the claims were made up, the insurance trade body, the ABI said.
theguardian.com
While British children go hungry, we waste 1.1bn meals a year. Bring on the redistribution revolution | Charlotte Hill
Food businesses and the government must make redistribution a key policy to address food insecurity. We know the surplus food is out thereCharlotte Hill is chief executive of the food redistribution organisation FelixHow often does this happen? You open the fridge and find some ingredient you meant to use but didn’t get round to, and even though it’s still edible you think perhaps it’s just easier to throw it away. In the UK it’s estimated that an average household wastes about three meals a week, or 156 meals a year.Household fridges are one thing. But across the food sector, more than 1bn meals’ worth of easily accessible surplus food is wasted each year in the UK for the same reason: because it is easier to throw it away. That equates to 470,000 tonnes – enough to feed every child in the UK three meals a day for a month. When so many people are struggling to afford food, that is a staggering amount – and what’s even more shocking is that it is good quality and nutritious.Charlotte Hill is chief executive of the food redistribution organisation Felix Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI admits response to Australian government hacks 'not good enough'
Top executive Jason Kwon tells hearing company has added "more precautions" to its training environments.
bbc.co.uk
Irish budget tackles childcare and energy costs
The threshold at which people start paying the higher income tax rate is also expected to increase.
bbc.co.uk
Last call for the mall? How shopping centres are reinventing themselves
In the internet age, medium-sized retail hubs are looking for new ways to survive and thrive.
theguardian.com
‘It really hammers people’: Scottish islanders hit by highest diesel prices in UK
Inhabitants of the Hebrides and Shetland tell of how fuel costs are putting the squeeze on commuting, services, food and moreAs fuel prices reach the highest level in the UK since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Scottish islanders are feeling the pain more than most. On the mainland, the price of diesel has soared to a record high of 200.01p a litre, bringing the cost of filling an average family car to more than £110, according to the RAC. Petrol has risen by a third since the start of the Iran war at the end of February, averaging 174.71p – increasing to 195.64p in motorway service areas.In the Hebrides and Shetland, prices at the forecourt have jumped even higher, with some fuel stations selling diesel for more than 220p a litre during the initial rise. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Anthropic says AI agents didn’t breach Australian government websites – video
During a joint parliamentary hearing on artificial intelligence, Anthropic’s head of safeguards, Dave Orr, says that investigations of hundreds of millions of transcripts reveal no unauthorised interactions with Australian government systems. However, Orr acknowledges Anthropic has limited visibility into customer usage due to standard ‘zero data retention’ policiesAnthropic tells AI inquiry it ‘never tried to dictate’ Australian copyright rules Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The butter boom – how the world fell back in love with the glorious golden spread
It’s being sculpted for fashion parties, collected by tourists and hoarded in freezers. There are even entire shops devoted to it. What’s behind the revival of the much-maligned foodstuff?Temperatures in Paris were nudging 41C when Erwan Leo opened Le Butter Shop this summer. Wildfires had already been tearing through France and the city was quiet, particularly in the less touristy 15th arrondissement, a flex-your-wealth area near the Eiffel Tower. The last thing it needed, you would think, was a shop that sold loads of butter. “We were just so worried about the fridges,” says Leo, the 34-year-old owner. “We didn’t think anyone would even turn up.”I visit Le Butter, the first shop in Paris dedicated to selling the stuff, two months later in September. It’s a quaint, photogenic spot between a wine shop that was opened by Leo eight years ago and a cafe famous for being blown up in Christopher Nolan’s Inception. Inside there are candy-striped walls, little shopping baskets, a shelf of Instagrammable buttery merch (knives, hats, totes) and two double fridges containing 50 different types of butter. It’s a lot cooler today; the fridges purr away at an exacting 3C. And the past few months have been busy – so much so that Leo has had to erect a bench for those waiting outside, and a retractable barrier to manage the queues. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Five reasons India's stock market is sinking even when its economy is growing
The world's fastest growing major economy has one of the worst performing major equity markets in 2026.
bbc.co.uk
Shadow chancellor vows to cut at least one tax in every Tory budget
Shadow ministers unveiled a series of policies on day two of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
bbc.co.uk
Pentagon stops using Anthropic AI tools after blacklisting company, BBC told
It labelled Anthropic a "supply chain risk" in February after the firm refused to remove safety guardrails from its tools.
cnbc.com
Russia plague: What we know about the suspected case reportedly linked to a lab worker’s death
According to local media reports, as many as 189 people have also been placed under medical observation in Irkutsk in eastern Russia.
theguardian.com
Average five-year fixed mortgage rate hits 6% for first time in three years
Banks and building societies raise prices as turmoil in bond markets increases expectations of base rate riseThe average cost of a five-year fixed-rate mortgage has hit the 6% barrier for the first time in three years, as jitters in the money markets make the loans more expensive for lenders to offer.Figures from financial information provider Moneyfacts show the average is now 6.00%, its highest point since September 2023, while the average two-year fixed rate is not far behind at 5.98%, its highest since December of the same year. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
BT agrees rescue deal to buy broadband operator TalkTalk
The takeover still needs to be approved by the regulator, but would give certainty to TalkTalk's millions of customers
bbc.co.uk
Trump chooses top spy boss to run new AI taskforce
The US president said his national intelligence chief will lead the group as worries over AI grow.
bbc.co.uk
Average five-year mortgage rate hits 6% for first time in three years
The cost of a new fixed-rate mortgage has been rising in recent weeks as lenders face higher costs.
theguardian.com
Pasture lives: the rebel cheesemakers preserving an Alpine tradition
A story of storico ribelle, produced by a small group of mountain herders according to a traditional farming system based on seasonal and rotational grazingMy journey into the world of storico ribelle began with a shared passion for photography and the mountains. A close friend of mine lives in the Orobie Alps. He loves the mountains and the natural environment that surrounds him, and we share the same passion for photography. When I finally went to visit him, I discovered a way of experiencing the mountains that was very different from the one I knew growing up in the Apennines, where I come from.What struck me was not only the landscape, but the relationship people still have with it. Here, I discovered a world where the mountain is not simply a place to visit or explore, but a place to live and work. A world where cheese is still a tradition rather than an industrial product, and where the rhythms of the seasons, the animals and the daily work of the alpeggiatori – the mountain herders – are still deeply connected. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Holiday cottage company insisted on a death certificate to amend our break
Sykes Holiday Cottages showed no empathy and insisted on paperwork we didn’t have so soon after my husband’s deathWe booked a break with Sykes Holiday Cottages for 11 of us to celebrate my mum’s 80th birthday last February. The cost was £2,400, paid for by my 87-year-old dad, but it was my husband who made the booking.In January, my husband was diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma, and he died 10 days before the trip. My parents and some other members of the party still planned to take the holiday, and my dad informed Sykes of the death, since my husband was their point of contact. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
How much is your salary?
And would you reveal it in a job interview?
theguardian.com
‘I didn’t know what to do’: collapse of providers of high-end digs leaves students in shock
Cost of living crisis and drop in international students hits market for purpose-built accommodation“It was dead in the middle of summer, it was a shock,” says Nathalie Sriwiboonrattan. The fourth-year game design student at Abertay University was at home with her family thousands of miles away in Thailand when she discovered the owner of her Scottish studio flat had abruptly gone bust.“I was like, my hands are tied. I’m not in the country. I don’t know what to do,” she says. Sriwiboonrattan was forced to act quickly to secure new housing for the academic year, which has just begun, paying £850 to have her possessions moved. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Money stolen by scammers hijacking UK social media accounts rises 400%
Many cases involve criminals using other people’s identities to sell fake event tickets to friends and familyThe total amount stolen by criminals who hack into people’s emails and social media accounts and then pretend to be them has risen by more than 400% in a year, official UK data shows.In many cases, the scammers are hijacking people’s accounts in order to use their identity to sell fake event tickets – such as to sold-out gigs – to unsuspecting friends and family. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
How an 87-year-old Spanish woman became the face of the fight for affordable housing – explainer
María del Carmen Abascal, 87, was evicted from her home, on a stretcher, after being given 30 minutes to gather her belongings.The Guardian's European community affairs correspondent, Ashifa Kassam, explains how her eviction sparked protests across Madrid, which led to 'Maricarmen' becoming the symbol of a long-running housing rights movementEviction of 87-year-old puts Spain’s deepening housing crisis in the spotlight Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Watch: Why has UK diesel price hit an all time high?
Diesel has now hit an average of £2 a litre in the UK, the RAC motoring group says, with petrol prices also rising.
bbc.co.uk
Why are minimum alcohol prices going up?
The minimum price of alcohol (MUP) in Wales has risen by 30%.
bbc.co.uk
The AI telling farmers when to harvest
Will farmers want AI tools to help judge when to pick fruit, or is their own intuition enough?
bbc.co.uk
The start-ups hoping to return battery making to the US
Batteries based on sodium-ion technology could be made in the US with locally sourced materials.
bbc.co.uk
My hometown shows that high streets have to change or die
Aberdeen is launching an ambitious bid to revive its struggling centre. Could it offer lessons for other high streets?
bbc.co.uk
Europe's car makers are in crisis. Will the threat of war rescue them?
Auto executives across Europe hope rearmament can help them flex their industrial muscles once more.
bbc.co.uk
X-planes: Are they needed in the new era of drones?
Where do America's X-plane projects fit in an era of cheap drones?
bbc.co.uk
How the oil capital of the US welcomed a solar power boom
Texas is now the country's biggest producer of solar-farmed electricity.
bbc.co.uk
Spain battles climate change on several fronts
A summer of wildfires and heatwaves underlines the threats to the country's economy.
bbc.co.uk
The virtual worlds where robots are trained
Training systems that allow robots to negotiate the real world are getting more sophisticated.
bbc.co.uk
Would you buy branded clothing from your favourite tech firm?
Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic are all now selling their own limited edition fashion lines.
bbc.co.uk
The extreme engineering of aircraft windows
Few companies have the technology to make aircraft windows which are getting harder to make.
bbc.co.uk
Can Europe recharge its battery industry?
Europe has some promising battery tech, but can it make up ground lost to Chinese battery giants?
bbc.co.uk
I asked my husband to pay into my pension when we had a child - here's why
Molly and Taylor Haylett explain the changes to how they managed their finances when they started a family.
bbc.co.uk
Why some experts increasingly fear AI will take over
AI agents went on an uncontrolled hacking spree, leaving some in the industry worried
bbc.co.uk
Should promotion depend on how workers use AI?
More companies are tying career progression to AI use: is that fair?
bbc.co.uk
Aviation faces hotter, stormier skies – and passengers might have to accept more disruption
Are people going to have to increasingly accept more delays and diversions as the effects of climate change intensify?
bbc.co.uk
Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters
Why is it taking so long for the government to regulate them, and what are the consequences of delay?
bbc.co.uk
Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension
Many younger people do not believe the state pension will exist when they are older
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